American Modernism and ever-changing digital art at the Blanton

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A colorful stamp featuring abstract artwork by Marsden Hartley, with bold geometric shapes and vibrant colors, labeled 'forever' and 'usa'.

Above: “Flight of the Thielens,” Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975). “In September 1938, a disastrous hurricane barreled through a Martha’s Vineyard town…. Benton’s painting of the destructive storm depicts his neighbors – the painter Virginia Berresford, her husband, writer Benedict Thielen, and their cook, Josephine ‘Lucy’ Clarke – as they fled their home…. Unable to swim, Clarke was pulled out to sea by 25-foot waves…. Benton depicts her tragic final moments as she reaches up for help… just beyond Thielen’s grasp.” Blanton curatorial notes, “American Modernism from the Charles Butt Collection.”

An interesting dip into American Modernism drawn from the private art collection of Charles Butt (Butt as in the “B” of H-E-B) is on loan to the Blanton Museum of Art until August 2. Eighty diverse works are assembled for the exhibition, “American Modernism from the Charles Butt Collection.” A snapshot of these and several other current exhibits follows.

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Postcard from Zamora, Spain: Sampling regional and international dishes

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A decorative stamp from Spain featuring the word 'Zamora' with images of a wolf, traditional dancers, and a scenic view of Zamora's historic architecture.

Above: Leeks confit topped with toasted almonds at Liberten Restaurante

Zamora is a place one can dive deeply into regional dishes. Having traveled for a few weeks, I would have thought I’d tired of that. But the traditional was so well-prepared, we enjoyed it. Alphabetical restaurant mentions are below.

If you follow this blog, you probably are aware I am a stalker of zamburinas during their season. Capitol‘s preparation of the mollusks was perfect. Our generous dried fruit salad with ripe tomatoes offered wonderful contrasting flavors.

Expect to find cod everywhere, but Capitol did it well. Bacalao al horno with sweet roasted peppers was flaky and moist, with a side of the region’s famed garbanzos from Fuentesauco. Merluza, or hake, de pincho Gallega arrived enveloped in delicate pastry with a leek sauce on the side. Later, I realized Capitol prides itself in its rice dishes, so you might want to ponder that portion of its menu.

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Postcard from Paris, France: Linear parks rejuvenate neighborhoods

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playing boule along ourcq canal in paris
A vintage French postage stamp depicting a man playing jeu de boules, with spectators in the background. The stamp features blue illustrations and text stating 'JEU DE BOULES' and 'RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE'.

Above: Adjudicating outcome of an afternoon boules game along the Ourcq Canal.

Paris had to be more than a manicured museum preserved for the affluent beneath the Eiffel Tower and the Pantheon’s dome.”

“A City Reinvented: Paris Is Now Greater Paris,” Roger Cohen, New York Times, August 31, 2025

When we returned this past spring, our prior trip to Paris had been forty years earlier. Obviously, things have changed. We found ourselves afoot exploring areas of the city regarded as neither appealing nor safe for boulevardiers back then, areas such as an abandoned railroad line that runs across the 12th Arrondissement from the Bastille to the Bois de Boulogne.

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